No, you’re probably not looking for blistering top speeds and neck-breaking acceleration when shopping for an SUV. Dodge is giving it to you, anyway, with the 2018 Dodge Durango SRT, which posts performance numbers more suited for sports cars than seven-seat mini-buses.
You know how Dodge likes to refer to the Durango as a “three-row Charger”? Well, this new model definitely makes that claim sound legit with its 0 to 60 time of just 4.4 seconds and an NHRA-certified quarter-mile time of 12.9 seconds. Heck, it even looks like a supersized Charger, with its wide-body profile and bulging SRT hood.
The 2018 Dodge Durango SRT gets all that power courtesy of a 392-cubic-inch HEMI V8, which puts out 475 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. That engine is mated to an eight-speed TorqueFlight automatic transmission that’s been calibrated specifically for the new model’s sporty demeanor, with a retuned all-wheel drive system ensuring excellent handling on all surfaces. Despite the sporty performance, the vehicle will still haul cargo like a veritable beast, boasting a towing capacity of up to 8,600 pounds.
Features include an electronic T-shifter, seven driving modes (including a Track mode), high-speed cornering capability, a new exhaust system modeled after the Charger SRT, Brembo brakes, and Pirelli all-season tires. Inside, you get Laguna leather and carbon fiber trim, with a hand-wrapped instrument panel, flat-bottom performance steering wheel, and heated chairs on the first two rows.
No pricing has been announced, but the 2018 Dodge Durango SRT will go on sale in the fall.
